“All of your cases?”
“I’m moving to corporate.” I hesitate only a moment before I say, “Don’t make me sorry I brought you over. There are people who would hurt Grayson.”
“I’m not one of them.”
“Then make sure you have your ears and eyes open with the right team in mind.”
I turn and exit his office, and my nerve endings are prickling in all the wrong ways. I head down the hallway with one destination in mind: Eric’s office. When he’s not there, I return to my office, shut my door and call him. “Hey, Mia. What’s up?”
“I brought Kevin Murphy to take on my old cases. He was my supervisor at Ri’s firm and with Ri for ten years.”
“I’m aware. And?”
“And I trust him, I do, but I just got a weird vibe from him. Maybe I’m paranoid after our talk this morning, but my trust just doesn’t feel good enough. Not when he might burn Grayson. Can you have Blake check him out?”
“Already done. So far he’s checked out.”
“Are you sure? Because I can’t be the reason something bad happens to Grayson, Eric. I can’t.”
“You, Mia, are the good in that man’s life. You are not bringing any bad on him, but you did the right thing. Better safe than sorry.”
“I love him.”
“And he loves you. Give Kevin a hard case. Let’s see what he’s made of and if he fails, fuck him.”
I laugh. “As long as he doesn’t do that to us.”
“Such a lady. Can’t even say fuck. He’s not going to fuck us. Now, go get comfortable. You’re here to stay.” He hangs up.
I smile. He’s right. I am here to stay.
I start making a list of all the things I need to do today and all the things I need to update Grayson on later when we’re alone, including my feelings on Kevin Murphy.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Mia
It’s nearly noon and Kevin and I are still in the conference room, but thankfully I’ve just finished handing over my caseload to him. “That’s it,” I say. “Let me know if you have questions and welcome to the team.”
“You really belong here, don’t you?”
“Yes. She does.”
At the sound of Grayson’s voice, my gaze lifts to the doorway to find him gorgeously consuming the entryway. “Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he says, his eyes twinkling with the exchange. “How about some lunch?”
“I’d like that.”
“Ah hi,” Kevin says awkwardly, standing up. “Nice to meet you, Grayson.” He’s quick to round the table to meet Grayson, extending his hand.
I’m quick to move to Grayson’s side. By the time I’m there, Grayson shakes his hand. “I’m not Ri.”
“And that’s a good thing,” Kevin replies.
“And yet you worked for him for ten years.”
“Until Mia joined the team, I barely saw the man, but once she joined my group, he came around often, and harassed her just as often. I did my best to protect her.”
The air crackles sharp and hard, and Grayson narrows his eyes on him. “Did you now?” Grayson is not a man to outwardly respond to anything. He’s calm and cool, genius and kind, but he’s not a pushover. He succeeds for a reason. He acts swiftly, powerfully, and without regret.
Kevin obviously reads that in him now because he holds up his hands. “We’re friends. Mia started her first day at work by telling me she loved you and would always love you.”
“And gentlemen that you are, you never saw that as a challenge.”
“Grayson,” I warn softly.
“I didn’t, actually,” Kevin replies, without hesitation. “We just never had that kind of connection. And because I need to earn your trust, I’ll go on when I would otherwise find that inappropriate. My fiancée died in a car crash a few months before Mia came to work for me.”
“Oh God,” I murmur. “No one said anything.”
“She worked for Ri,” Kevin says. “She crossed Ri, threatened to report him for falsifying evidence. I believe he had her killed. I hated him. I was only there for revenge. Check it out. It will all check out.”
I blanch, stunned by this confession. The air crackles for several beats before Grayson asks, “Did you get that revenge?”
“No, but I would have, and I’m not sure I should be proud of that but I wouldn’t have regretted it. I asked Mia to talk to you for a reason.” He turns back to the table, grabs a file from his briefcase, and offers it to Grayson, lowering his voice for our ears only, though the conference room is set apart from the offices anyway. “A list of people that I know visited our offices after they came to work for you. I know he’s dead, but I wouldn’t trust any of them.”
Grayson accepts the file. “But I should trust you?”
“Yes, but I understand why you don’t. I’ll gather my things and leave.” He hesitates. “If that’s what you want.”
I suck in a breath, waiting for Grayson’s reply, heavy seconds pounding in the air, before Grayson says, “Stay.” He pauses a beat and adds, “For now.”
Relief washes over his features and he nods. “I’ll get to work on my caseload.”
Grayson inclines his chin and then fixes me in that steely green stare. “Ready?”
“I am,” I say, and I don’t look at Kevin.
Grayson steps back to allow me to exit and I enter the hallway. He joins me. We don’t touch, not here at work and while that’s my rule, I find myself wanting to break that standard now. He motions to my office and we walk in that direction.
The minute we’re inside, I turn to face him and he shuts the door. “Eric told you my concern?”
“He did.” He lifts the folder. “Grab your things. I want to get this to Blake, and Reese Summer has a big trial starting in two days. He asked if we could meet him for lunch and unless you really need to come back afterward, I say we work from home the rest of the day.”
“Home?”
“Home, baby.”
My smile is instant. “I can’t wait.” I hurry to my desk and start gathering my things. Grayson follows and sets the folder on the desk, tabbing through the data.
“Anything that feels important?”
“The fact these people are spread out across our various divisions is indicative of a planned attack. Which we knew. The file is simply added confirmation.”
I round the desk to stand next to him. “Do you trust Kevin?”
“I will never trust a man who wants in my woman’s panties.”
“How very caveman of you. He does not—”
His hand slides under my hair to cup my neck and he steps into me, dragging my mouth to his. “A man knows when another man wants his woman. He wants you.”
“My panties are spoken for by you and have been since the moment I met you.” I grab his tie. “Note my skill at being both kinky and romantic at the same time.”
“And while I appreciate your skills, I do not appreciate him. At all.”
I’m suddenly concerned that he might think I want to make him jealous or pay him back. “I didn’t know, Grayson. I swear to you. I’ve always been blinded by you. I didn’t—”